Shisui, who had previously been driven back by Saitama, saw his opportunity at this moment.
Saitama was now caught in Itachi's "Amaterasu" and struggling to cope, making this the perfect chance for a counterattack.
Without worrying about his recent injuries, he quickly leapt forward and swung his weapon downward in one powerful strike.
The katana, flashing with sharp brilliance, heavily crashed onto Saitama's Susano. At this moment, the latter truly couldn't spare a hand to defend, so he was directly knocked flying away.
Boom!
Saitama landed on the ground, sliding backward nonstop as Shisui's attack pressed hard upon him. His feet left two long, uneven marks across the surface.
Meanwhile, the Flames of Amaterasu raged furiously over the Susano, causing unbearable heat to those inside.
The current situation clearly turned unfavorable for him, and prompt action was needed to retaliate.
Boom!
A massive surge of chakra burst outward from his body once more, raising the intensity of his Susano another level.
Yet immediately following it, the Amaterasu flared up like doused in oil, burning even more violently as if growing right along with the outer layer of chakra surrounding the Susano.
Seeing that releasing extra chakra hadn't helped push the flames away, Saitama remained calm. A dark glint flickered in his eyes before the visible part of his Susano armor disappeared above his torso.
If that's how it is, then abandoning the Susano entirely would be better. The first stage of Susano wasn't really helping much in this fight anyway—after all, Shisui possessed this same ability too.
Besides, the Susano's fighting style clashed with his usual combat style, restricting his movements and holding him back from going all out.
As the Susano automatically dissipated, the dense Amaterasu flames covering it vanished as well.
Beyond a lingering scent of scorched air, nothing else remained behind.
With the absence of the Susano, Saitama's aura instantly weakened, signaling to Shisui that this was yet another great opportunity to keep pressing the assault.
In the distance, Itachi Uchiha had already closed his eyes and was rushing toward the battlefield.
Saitama kept an eye on him. Though he had many margins for error, he preferred not to waste ocular power unnecessarily—it placed less strain on his body that way.
The green Susano leapt high into the air, katana raised before its chest, surging with chakra.
Shisui suddenly swung his weapon forward with force, causing the concentrated chakra along the blade to reflect an unusual fluorescence.
Whoosh!
A crescent-shaped 'blade wave,' nearly ten meters long, shot forth instantaneously at blinding speed.
This was a physical manifestation of chakra rather than the traditional sword technique Saitama was familiar with. Still, the mechanics were quite similar.
"Earth Release - Earth Wall Formation!"
As he stepped backward, Saitama clasped both hands together, activating the ninjutsu.
At the exact moment his palms met, the ground before him suddenly erupted. Several earthen walls surged upward from beneath his feet, completely blocking off the danger ahead.
Faced with Shisui's relentless pursuit, Saitama remained unfazed—even managing to carve several grotesque snake heads into the earthen wall, making this ninjutsu look uniquely menacing.
[Earth Release - Earth Wall Formation]
Bang—
Shisui's attack slammed into Saitama's defense, unleashing a powerful gust of wind. Though it quickly shattered the latter's Earth Release, much of its force was also greatly weakened.
Saitama raised his hand again, and several trees burst forth from beneath his feet, completely blocking the follow-up damage.
[Wood Release…]
On the other side, Shisui narrowed his eyes. He pushed off the ground with his foot and landed beside the charging Itachi. Instead of rushing into another attack, he remained cautious and observant.
"Itachi, are you okay?"
Itachi held his right eye, blood slowly seeping through his fingers, yet his first concern was for Shisui, who had just been knocked down.
After using Tsukuyomi once and Amaterasu twice in rapid succession, he now showed clear signs of exhaustion and poor health.
This wasn't yet the peak of his personal strength, so using the Mangekyou Sharingan felt somewhat forced. Repeated usage caused serious physical strain.
"I'm fine. You should watch how often you use the Mangekyou. From here on out, I'll be the one attacking—you just focus on creating openings."
Shisui stared at Saitama while speaking, concerned about Itachi. If Itachi hadn't intervened earlier to relieve some pressure, he might have ended up far worse.
"Understood, but still be careful. As long as we stall him, the village will respond soon enough. Then…"
Itachi's left eye flickered with thought. Clearly, the two of them couldn't take down Saitama alone, and there was another enemy nearby wielding Wood Release—Itsuki.
He didn't believe Itsuki, the pale figure who had vanished moments ago, had simply abandoned Saitama and fled.
Shisui nodded, agreeing with Itachi's reasoning while keeping his entire body tense with high alert.
"Well then, since today isn't really a day for fighting, how about we just call it quits?"
Saitama shook out the hem of his coat. The ring on his finger carried Nagato's chakra fluctuations—an unspoken signal to keep track of time—and gave his voice a teasing edge.
Shisui's breath paused briefly, his gaze toward Saitama complex, though he offered no reply.
Seeing this reaction, Saitama didn't rush. He prepared to say a few more polite parting words before simply withdrawing. After all, there was currently no one on the opposing side capable of stopping him, and today, he'd already decided not to continue further.
Whether out of lingering sentimentality or caution regarding Konoha's current situation, staying longer definitely wouldn't be wise.
He could already sense some Konoha ninja approaching from the vicinity.
While ordinary ninja were hardly a threat, there were still some difficult opponents within Konoha itself.
And this place was their home turf. Unlike Nagato, he didn't dare assume he could defeat an entire group alone.
His personal combat style naturally leaned toward quick, decisive attacks rather than drawn-out battles.
Even though his endurance ranked among the toughest in the Shinobi World, this was still just a matter of personal choice.
Just like how Saitama rarely used genjutsu (illusion techniques) or recklessly charged into fights outnumbered…
However, while he intended to withdraw, others seemed unwilling to let him leave so easily.
A faint whizzing sound came from behind. Based on Saitama's years of combat experience, this was no ordinary kunai—it was a specially modified one.
The moment the kunai appeared, the two Uchiha members who had been motionless across from him sprang into action simultaneously, as if they had been waiting precisely for its arrival.
Shisui struck first. His fully manifested Susano charged forward in an instant, closing the distance and throwing a punch straight at Saitama.
As for Itachi Uchiha, he dashed along a curved path, slightly delayed compared to Shisui, charging toward Saitama's flank. Gripping his personal ninja sword in his right hand, he also began channeling chakra throughout his body.
With a loud *"Bang,"* Susano's fist smashed into the ground, but Saitama remained expressionless, leaping aside just in time.
In his eyes, Susano wasn't particularly fast. More importantly, Shisui's attack was clearly designed to send him into midair where he'd have nothing to push off.
Once airborne, his focus shifted away from Shisui and onto the approaching kunai.
It looked very similar to Minato's trident-shaped kunai, yet subtly different. Whoever threw it clearly wasn't Minato Namikaze.
Noticing the kunai's distinct features, Saitama felt puzzled deep down.
So Konoha Village now has another person who knows the Flying Thunder God Technique?
"Rasengan!!!"
Almost immediately, a figure flickered into existence by the kunai. Narrowing his eyes, Saitama didn't feel unfamiliar with this presence. Instead, he gave an enigmatic smile.
Obito Uchiha.
If anyone in Konoha Village had talent in Space–Time Ninjutsu, it was definitely Obito. Moreover, being Minato's disciple, he naturally had the opportunity to learn this technique up close.
His Sharingan continuously monitored changes around the kunai. So the moment Obito appeared, Saitama reacted immediately, firing off a Rasengan.
To Saitama's surprise, however, Obito—who was attacking him—also unleashed a Rasengan. The orb shot out fast—clearly not the work of someone just learning the technique.
Thus, the two Rasengans collided unexpectedly in midair.
Boom—
A numb sensation surged through his arm. Saitama withdrew in time, lightly pushing off the ground with the tip of his foot, creating distance as he smoothly stepped aside.
However, Itachi Uchiha seemed to have already predicted where Saitama would appear—or perhaps calculated long ago that only one direction would leave a gap in their three-pronged attack. Either way, he was already there, blade horizontally blocking the way.
Thud—
Facing Itachi, Saitama ducked low, dodging the slash before slamming his palm directly against his opponent's chest. [Chidori Current] surged outward in an instant, sending arcs of lightning across the ground and stopping Itachi in his tracks.
"Gh…"
Itachi's expression shifted slightly, though his reflexes remained sharp.
He swung the previously evaded weapon backward in a quick reversal, aiming a sidelong stab at Saitama—an attempted backstab.
Hiss—
Saitama had foreseen everything, already executing an evasion maneuver ahead of time.
Therefore, Itachi's blade merely grazed through Saitama's clothing, slicing open a tear without even inflicting the slightest injury.
This dodge also brought Saitama shoulder to shoulder with Itachi.
The two Mangekyo Sharingan eyes locked diagonally in midair, and Saitama could clearly see a trace of apprehension deep within his opponent's gaze.
Swish!
He raised his arm, shooting his elbow forward in an instant.
A massive surge of Chidori Current amplified the attack, unleashing tremendous force.
Itachi Uchiha had no time to dodge at all. His lips originally curled into a slight smirk when he blocked Saitama's escape route, but now they were smashed directly by Saitama's elbow.
Pah bang—
His upper body seemed like it would tear away from the rest and fly backward uncontrollably. The immense force left him no chance to resist.
"Ugh!"
Itachi's face twisted in agony as several bloodied teeth flew from his slightly open mouth along with a spurt of fresh blood.
"Itachi!"
Shisui witnessed everything. Susano's blade slashed toward Saitama immediately—even though the three of them had surrounded Saitama, their attacks still seemed utterly ineffective.
Bang!
A long, narrow slash mark split across the ground. Though not hitting Saitama directly, it successfully interrupted his follow-up assault, creating distance between him and Itachi.
As for Itachi, hit full in the face by Saitama's elbow like a cannonball, he crashed into distant ruins and remained motionless for quite some time.
Saitama effortlessly landed after dodging Shisui's attack and chose not to chase after Itachi aggressively. Instead, he paused briefly with both hands at his sides, then stared toward Obito and Shisui who stood at different positions, eyeing him warily.
Part of this was because Saitama understood Itachi, Obito, and Shisui well, but more importantly, his strength alone sufficed to crush them completely.
Obito clutched a kunai tightly while keeping one trembling hand partially hidden behind his back.
Although he hadn't taken significant damage during the previous confrontation, he still ended up at a disadvantage—the quality of his Rasengan lagged just slightly behind Saitama's.
Looking at Saitama's calm demeanor, Itachi, Obito, and Shisui felt an indescribable irritation bubbling within.
You'd think he was strong—yet somehow, chasing after him seemed possible; yet once they tried hard enough, they still found themselves hopelessly suppressed.
It was as though every struggle, effort, and resistance was meaningless—he always held ultimate control and merely dangled slivers of hope before them occasionally.
Glancing sideways toward where Itachi lay, Obito and Shisui shared a glance filled with complex emotions.
Just earlier, Obito's sudden arrival prompted an immediate strategy among the coordinated trio, leading them to surround Saitama again.
But the outcome obviously wasn't great—it was close to failure.
"Kuh...kuh!"
Itachi crawled out from amidst the wreckage, spitting soil mixed with blood and saliva. His left cheek swelled grotesquely, resembling a steamed bun frozen on his face.
Even after suffering such a brutal strike, his mind remained composed.
Without minding his injuries, he rose immediately, locking his gaze onto Saitama. Now forming a triangular encirclement with the other two surrounding their target.
For a moment, silence fell over the battlefield.
"It's been a while. I didn't expect you to have actually mastered the Flying Thunder God. Maybe I was wrong calling you trash last time."
Looking at Obito, Saitama smiled slightly before speaking.
"You've only seen the tip of the iceberg. I'll show you that even someone labeled as the weakest can become unstoppable through sheer hard work! As a rogue ninja, you'll never understand the beliefs we hold dear."
Hearing the faint mocking tone in Saitama's words, Obito Uchiha tightened his grip on the kunai and shot back with sarcastic defiance.
He'd waited a long time for this rematch with Saitama.
The crushing defeat he had suffered before was one he would never forget.
Maybe today would finally let him peel back that nightmare just enough to breathe again.
This might finally be the reward for all his hard work recently.
"It seems although you've mastered the Flying Thunder God, you still haven't gotten rid of your careless nature. How could you not be cautious when it comes to ninja matters? Don't forget: any technique you know, I know too."
"Huh?"
Obito sensed something off. Instinctively, he lowered his gaze slightly, focusing on the hand that had touched Saitama earlier.
Near his wrist, in a spot normally difficult to notice, a line of tadpole-like markings clearly appeared.
No need for further thought—he immediately recognized it as a Flying Thunder God jutsu!
But by then, it was already too late.
"So what I said last time—calling you trash—was actually too kind. You're not just trash; you're an idiotic waste of space!"
Suddenly appearing behind Obito, Saitama leaned close to his ear and whispered. With one hand gripping Obito's arm from behind and the other pressed against his back, he held him trapped.
Instantly, sweat poured from Obito's forehead, and his entire body stiffened.
He had absolutely no idea when Saitama had managed to leave that jutsu mark on his wrist. Their only contact had been during their previous clash of Rasengans.
So even at such a critical moment, Saitama still had the presence of mind to do something like this?
Indeed, there was already a noticeable gap between them when it came to mastery of ninjutsu.
[Chidori crackling]—
A chill ran down Obito's spine—the sound of Chidori surging against his back, raising goosebumps.
Shua!
Without time to think further, Obito vanished from the spot instantly.
And almost the moment he disappeared, a towering beam of blue-white lightning pierced where he had stood, plunging deep into the ground.
A tiny black hole smoldered where it hit, rising dark smoke—an undeniable mark of its power.
Whoosh—
Landing beside Shisui while supporting himself with one hand on the ground, Obito crouched halfway down. By Shisui's feet, the very kunai he'd given Shisui long ago was embedded several inches into the earth—a clear sign of the trust between them as teammates.
"Phew... That was way too close..."
Faking disappointment, Saitama flicked away the lingering Chidori from his right hand in a sweeping arc beside him, making the air shudder slightly.
"This doesn't add up..."
Obito, having narrowly escaped death, felt puzzled. Although the marking on his wrist had vanished after Saitama used it once,
Even so, Saitama didn't seem like the type to show mercy unnecessarily.
Within that brief moment, the opponent definitely had the opportunity to keep up with him and deliver damage.
How could he evade so easily?
Unless the opponent never intended to kill him in the first place!
His gaze lingering on Saitama's faint smile, memories of the battle replayed in Obito's mind as if something suddenly clicked.
"Itachi, watch out!"
Shisui and Obito shouted at the same time, both coming to the same realization instantly.
As for Itachi on the other side, the instant Obito came under attack, he noticed something too. He grabbed his chest garment and tore it outward forcefully.
However, someone else's jutsu was even faster. At this point, discovery no longer mattered much.
Saitama used Obito as a distraction, momentarily lowering the others' guard before he launched himself into action like a coiled spring, redirecting his attack toward Itachi who already sensed something abnormal.
It was a high-stakes mental game — but all of it happened in less than two seconds!
He didn't immediately attack Itachi at first because he was overly confident, wanting to take down two opponents at once.
His main target was none other than Obito, the wielder of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
But the chance only came once. If unsuccessful, he wouldn't attempt again.
This was also why he didn't continue attacking Obito just now.
Boom—
"Chidori!!"
The moment Uchiha Itachi placed his hand on the ninja armor over his chest, Saitama launched his attack without hesitation.
Already eager to leave this place, he'd been forcibly held back by the three Uchihas, depleting what little patience he still possessed.
Since they refused to let him go peacefully, he saw no reason to hold back either.
"Damn it!"
Shisui's heart tightened. Without hesitation, he dashed forward, unleashing his signature Shunshin no Shisui. But could even his incredible speed surpass Space-Time Ninjutsu?
The answer is no!
A wooden log — the remnant of the Substitution Jutsu — lay split in two on the ground, with white smoke slowly rising from it.
"A Substitution Jutsu?"
Saitama smiled. The Substitution Jutsu — one of the Three Basic Jutsu — proved surprisingly effective in such a dire moment.
But did Uchiha Itachi completely evade Saitama's sudden assault using "Substitution Jutsu"?
Of course not!
Though his life was saved, there was still a price to pay.
Glancing at the arm severed by the Chidori — an arm Itachi willingly abandoned.
Slowly turning around, Saitama blocked Shisui's Susano attack and took advantage of the momentum to retreat backward about ten meters.
He had full faith in Itachi's abilities as a ninja — but even so, sacrificing his own arm mid-pain like that was damn impressive.
Facing the Chidori aimed directly at his chest and knowing evasion was impossible, he chose to minimize the damage by activating the Substitution Jutsu with his left hand over his chest, even as that same hand absorbed part of Saitama's attack.
This was exactly what Saitama deduced from their brief clash.
Decisive, able to make tough choices, unafraid of sacrifice.
Maybe this was the true essence of a ninja — decisive, ruthless, and ready to sacrifice anything for survival.
A sudden realization flickered across Saitama's mind — then he grinned.
Itachi Uchiha truly proved to be an unsurpassable ninja.
"Itachi!"
Itachi appeared half-kneeling beside him, with Shisui and Obito quickly landing at his side.
Obito stepped forward to support him while Shisui controlled the Susano in front as a shield, warily watching for Saitama's next attack.
"Tsk! You actually did it!"
Kneeling on the ground, sweat covered Itachi's forehead, his eyebrows knitted tightly into a sharp V-shape above his nose.
He hurt so much he couldn't tell if he was smiling or crying anymore.
His left arm had been severed at the shoulder, blood dripping through his fingers with a pattering sound, quickly staining the ground red.
His face turned pale; he spoke toward Saitama in the distance with a bitter smile.
And in his eyes were visible tears brought by the unbearable pain.
This wasn't a sign of weakness but simply a natural human reaction.
Not letting out even a single cry of pain was the last of his endurance.
However, once his body sensed such indescribable agony, tears naturally welled up in his eyes.
Glancing toward Saitama, his gaze unavoidably shifted to his own severed arm. Itachi's expression darkened slightly.
This battle had cost him a lot.
"Itachi, how do you feel?"
Obito gripped Itachi's shoulders, feeling the slight tremble of his body, never taking his eyes off Saitama ahead for even a second.
This mistake bore much of his responsibility.
Even knowing that Saitama knew about the Flying Thunder God technique, he still remained somewhat careless.
"I won't die, though I seem unable to keep fighting now. If no reinforcements arrive...the danger for us might grow serious."
Sweat dripped from Itachi's nose, his lips went pale, and his voice grew barely audible.
"If things get any worse, I'll get every one of you the hell out of here..."
Obito understood this logic and nodded solemnly.
"So there's still no way out, huh…?"
Shisui stared at Saitama, clenching both fists tightly, filled with unwillingness.
"If it was before, I wouldn't have cared if you wanted to leave, but now I've changed my mind!"
Saitama leaned his body forward, fully displaying his aggressiveness.
At the same time, a storm of lightning began to surge around him, converging rapidly toward Saitama.
Swish!
Saitama vanished from the spot.
A figure burst into view midair, lit up by blinding arcs of white lightning.
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